Tint laws by state
North Carolina tint laws: 35% on the whole car, read on the meter
North Carolina counts the window as tinted, glass included. Enter the film and the glass: the calculator applies the 35% rule and the 32% meter threshold to each window.
Too dark for the law in North Carolina
28% front side
| Meter reads | Law | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side | 28% | 35% | too dark |
| Rear side | 28% | 35% | too dark |
| Back window | 28% | 35% | too dark |
Darkest film on this glass: front side 50% · rear side 50% · back window 50%
Windshield: AS-1 / 5 in.
Statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-127 · North Carolina
Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on ncleg.gov, dated June 11, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading.
North Carolina sets one figure for the whole car and measures it on the finished window. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-127, the total light transmission of a tinted window must be at least 35%, and reflectance may not exceed 20%. The statute adds a rule that matters at the roadside: a window that measures more than 32% on a light meter approved by the Commissioner is conclusively presumed to comply. On a passenger car the rule covers the front side windows, the rear side windows and the back window. Multipurpose vehicles, a group the law says includes minivans and pickup trucks, are exempt behind the driver. On the windshield, tint may run down to 5 inches from the top or to the AS1 line, whichever is longer, and clear UV film is allowed on the whole glass. Because the glass counts, a 35% film is already too dark on most cars: on 78% glass it reads 27.3%. Driving with, or applying, illegal tint is a Class 3 misdemeanor, with a defense if the film is removed within 15 days.
Real percentage of stacked layers
Combined VLT (what a meter reads)
35.1%
| Light blocked | 64.9% |
| Below the film alone | 9.9% |
| Formula | 78 × 45 / 100 |
Statutes read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the check works
Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on ncleg.gov, dated June 11, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading.
Why 35% film fails on a 35% law
The statute speaks of "the total light transmission of the tinted window", which is film and glass together. Factory side glass is not clear: it lets through a share of the light below 100% before any film goes on. The table shows what common films give once the glass is counted, and how each one reads against the 32% meter threshold:
| Film | On 75% glass | On 85% glass | North Carolina car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 37.5% | 42.5% | legal |
| 45% | 33.8% | 38.3% | legal on both |
| 40% | 30% | 34% | too dark on 75%, above 32% on 85% |
| 35% | 26.2% | 29.8% | too dark |
| 20% | 15% | 17% | too dark |
A second film on top of an old one multiplies again. Try it below: enter your glass, the film already there and the one you plan to add.
Real percentage of stacked layers
Combined VLT (what a meter reads)
28.1%
| Light blocked | 71.9% |
| Below the film alone | 16.9% |
| Formula | 78 × 45 × 80 / 100² |
What the officer can ask
The statute requires the driver of a vehicle with tinted windows to lower the window when approached by a law enforcement officer. The meter reading then decides: above 32%, the window is taken as compliant without further argument; at 32% or below, the charge rests on the 35% rule.
Cars and multipurpose vehicles
On a sedan, coupe or hatchback, the back window and the rear side windows follow the same 35% as the front doors. A multipurpose vehicle is exempt behind the driver, and the law states that this group includes minivans and pickup trucks. The rear window of a vehicle built to haul property is also exempt. Red, yellow and amber film stays banned everywhere, and the film must be nonreflective.
Windshield
Tint may run along the top of the windshield down to 5 inches or to the AS1 line, whichever is longer. Since S.L. 2025-47, clear film that blocks ultraviolet light without tinting may cover the rest of the windshield. A medical permit does not change the windshield rule.
Medical permit and penalty
The Division of Motor Vehicles grants medical exception permits for photosensitivity to visible light, valid five years, up to four at a time. The holder gets a sticker for the lower left corner of the back window; driving without it displayed is a $200 infraction. For everyone else, driving with or applying non-compliant tint is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The statute does not write a fine amount for it, so this site shows the fine as not confirmed.
Around North Carolina
Virginia asks for 50% on the front doors, South Carolina for 27%, Tennessee for 35% and Georgia for 32%. A car tinted to the North Carolina line passes in all four on the rear windows, but not on the front doors in Virginia. Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on ncleg.gov, dated June 11, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading.